Youngstown Flea to Present Holiday Sale in Its New Location
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown Flea will hold its first event at its new location this weekend.
The market for local artists, artisans and makers will present its annual Holiday Flea on Saturday and Sunday in the former Northeast Fabricators building, downtown. The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days; admission is free.
Derrick McDowell, founder and owner of the Flea, purchased the former factory building at 365 E. Boardman St., a block east of the main post office, in October for $206,000.
In its first five years, the Youngstown Flea held its monthly markets from spring to fall in the parking lot at South Champion Street and Freeman Alley, next to Covelli Centre. Its Holiday Flea took place in December at the DeYor Performing Arts Center.
Other than cleaning it up, very little work had to be done to the new building to get the space ready for this year’s Holiday Flea, McDowell said.
“We purchased the building because of its set-up,” McDowell said. “It is a wide open space with brick and glass walls and a concrete floor, and it’s conducive to what we want to do.”
Only about half of the building will be used for the Holiday Flea. “There will be about 25 vendors, which is a severe reduction from years past, about a third of the size,” McDowell said. The vendors can be found at YoungstownFlea.com.
Due to the pandemic, the booths at Holiday Flea will be spaced out. Patrons and vendors will be required to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing at the event.
The process of gaining governmental approval to present public events in his new building meant McDowell got a later jump on announcing this year’s Holiday Flea.
He had to obtain a zoning change from light industrial to retail, and a health department inspection so that it could be approved for occupancy.
In addition to the Youngstown Flea, McDowell plans to use his new building as a business incubator for artisans and makers, and maintain daily hours with a handful of vendors.
Pictured above: The former Northeast Fabricators building, downtown, is the new site of Youngstown Flea.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
